


Marena

by EziClark



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22147693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EziClark/pseuds/EziClark
Summary: Marena's average life is about to change to one of a slave, more specifically that of a Death Eater's.
Relationships: Rodolphus Lestrange/OC
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. Daddy Issues

Marena lived in a small town with miles of forest separating them from the nearest city. Waking up, Marena yawned, stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Reluctantly rolling out of bed, she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on mascara before throwing on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a cream oversized, cable knit sweater, a wine red scarf and a pair of fuzzy socks. Pulling her hair into a loose Dutch braid, Marena went downstairs to start on breakfast for her and her father.  
Finished cooking breakfast, Marena was setting out the plates as her father came down the stairs.   
“Good morning, Dad.” she greeted, smiling at him.   
“Good morning, Birthday Girl.” He replied warmly, kissing the top of her head. a  
“Is it alright if I go and hang out with some friends for the day? You’ll be at work till the evening and then we can have dinner together,” she asked, sitting down across from him and beginning to eat her breakfast.   
“Of course. Unfortunately, tonight is the only night my friends from work are able to get together to work on a project so, I will be having some company from work over for dinner tonight.”   
“Alright. Is there anything, in particular, you were thinking about for dinner?”   
“As long as it’s a decent meal, whatever you want.”  
“How many are you expecting?”  
“Plan for four.”  
When they were done, Marena’s father went to work, leaving her to take care of the dishes. Afterward, Marena finished doing her chores before putting on her shoes and leaving the house to meet with her friends. On a back street just outside the center of town was a quaint, little café that served as the normal meeting point between Marena and her three friends, who were already waiting for her, settled with their drinks.   
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!”   
Marena smiled at them before hugging each in turn. Taking her seat next to Amara, Marena began sipping her peppermint tea as she began to catch up on the latest gossip and drama.   
“Did you guys hear about the party that’s going on next weekend?” Emory asked the group.   
“I heard a couple of the jocks talking about it as I was getting my stuff from my locker, but I haven’t decided if I want to go yet. Why do you ask? Are you thinking of going?” Celeste responded.   
“I might go. Apparently, some family is coming in from out of town, I just don’t remember the dates.”   
“Well, two things are certain: I am definitely going and Marena is going to sit in her room and read whatever book she’s on now.” Amara chuckled.   
“Well sorry that I’m not a social butterfly like you are, Amara. Which boy was it that you kissed the last time you snuck out? Or do you not remember?” Marena replied jokingly with a smile on her face.   
“We’re not talking about that,” Amara responded quickly as the rest of the group started laughing.  
“Do you have anything planned for your birthday tonight, Marena?  
“No, not really. I’m making dinner per usual and Dad is having some guys from work come over so they can discuss a project or something like that. He’ll probably get me a cake and a couple of presents like he does every year.”  
“And what about tomorrow?”  
“Probably nothing worth mentioning. Why?” Marena looked over at Emory.  
“The four of us should have a sleepover. It’s been too long since we’ve had a girls’ night.”   
“Oh my god, YES! I’ll bring the movies and some games.” Amara was quick to call dibs.   
“It’s my turn to bring the snacks, or do we want to bake tomorrow?” Marena asked.   
“Let’s do both. And as it’s my turn to host, Celeste gets to bring stuff for baking.”   
“How the hell did you remember it was your turn, Em?”  
“Because the last time we were supposed to have a sleepover, we were all packed to move.”   
Looking at her phone, Marena finished the last of her tea before standing, “ I have to get going. I still need to get stuff for dinner tonight. I’ll see you girls tomorrow.” She bent down to give each of them a hug before leaving the café and turning towards the grocery store.   
Returning home, Marena put the groceries on the kitchen counter before running upstairs to get her speaker. Connecting her phone to the speaker, she put on a random today’s hits playlist from Youtube to play in the background as she began to cook dinner. Just as she was putting the chicken into the oven, she heard the door in the living room open and voices coming from the living room. Assuming it was her father, Marena turned her attention back to the meal, putting the carrots on the stove to glaze and starting to put the salad together.   
“Marena, when will dinner be ready?” her father came into the kitchen and kissed the top of her head.   
“In about half an hour. The chicken is in the oven, the salad and the carrots are almost done, and the rice will only take a few minutes.”  
Grabbing a few whiskey glasses from the cupboard, her father turned back towards the living room “ Alright, we’ll be in the living room. Just call us when everything is ready.” 

Forty minutes later, Marena had the table set and walked into the living room to get everyone.   
“Dinner’s on the table when you're ready to eat.”  
“Perfect! Marena these are my colleagues: Sam, Collin, Michael, and Logan. Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Marena.”  
Everyone shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before moving to the dining room for dinner. Conversation over the dinner table was mild as far as Marena was concerned. There were the standard questions about herself such as how old was she, what did she like to do in her free time, and a little bit about her academics and social life. Other than that, she tended to tune them out as they talked about business and whatever it was that they were working on together. After dinner, Marena began to clear the table and was almost finished when she heard her name.   
“I’ll finish. Your present is on the couch in the living room. Why don’t you go try it on and come back down.” Her father said, standing to finish clearing the table. Marena nodded her head before retrieving the bag from the living room and making her way upstairs to her room.   
Closing the door to her room, Marena placed the bag onto her bed and pulled out the contents of the bag. Looking at the garments in her hand, she wasn’t so sure if she wanted to follow her father’s request. Deciding it would probably be easier to go along with whatever he was playing at, Marena put on the clothing before looking at herself in the full-length mirror on the back of her door. The dress was a mini, three-quarter sleeve, deep v neckline, form-fitting, black lace dress. The dress itself was flattering on her and fit well, the problem was the undergarments that were in the box as well: a pair of sheer, black lace cheekies and a matching black lace, plunge, push-up bra with white lace accents on the cups. I know I’m becoming an adult, but why did he have to buy me my first set of lingerie? Deciding to bite the bullet, Marena made her way down to the living room, finding her father and his colleagues sitting comfortably around a bottle of whiskey, her father leaning over with his elbows on his knees explaining something. She stood next to her father not saying anything until he finished and looked up at her smiling.  
“That dress looks good on you. Does everything fit?” he sat back in the chair and patted his lap.  
Hesitating for a minute, Marena sat on his lap before responding, “Yes they do. Thank you.”   
“That dress reminded me of the one your mother wore on our first date.”  
“How? I don’t think Mom was wearing skin-tight dresses.” Marena raised her eyebrows at him.  
“No, she didn’t. The dress she wore the first time I took her dinner flared out at the hips and came down to her knees, but it was all black, with lace at the top, a lower neckline then what one might call appropriate for the time, with the same sleeve length.”   
Marena’s gaze shifted to her feet, trying to avoid wiping away the tears that had started to pool in her eyes at the mention of her mother. She felt her father kiss the side of her head as we rubbed a couple of circles on her back.   
“Would you like a drink?”  
Turning to look at him with an odd expression she slowly responded “No, thank you. I think I’m going to put some more comfortable clothes on and settle into my book. I’m almost done; less than a hundred pages.”   
“Alright, my dear. Do you have plans for tomorrow?” he patted her back before gently pushing her off of his lap.  
“Sleeping over at Emory’s with Celeste and Amara.”   
“And it’s your turn to bring the snacks? Judging by the extra bag in the kitchen.”  
“Yeup.” Marean popped the ‘p’ while smiling at her dad.  
“What book are you reading?”  
Marena turned her head to look over at Collin “Little Women. It’s a classic that’s easy to read why I still have coursework to keep up with. “  
Nodding his head, Collin responded “ I never read it, but my older sister did and my mother couldn’t get her to put it down. When she told me what it was about, I couldn’t understand why she made such a fuss about it.”  
Marena shrugged, “It’s not my favorite read, but it’s not a bad one either.”   
“Fair enough.”  
“Alright, I’ll leave you to your business. I’m going to my room. Goodnight.” She leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek as they said goodnight to her in return before heading up to her room.   
Quickly taking off the dress and the undergarments, and putting them away, Marena pulled on a pair of short Under Armour gym shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Grabbing her book, she laid on her bed, grabbing a blanket to wrap herself, and opening the story to the next page

“Why don’t you go and get some more drinks?” Logan suggested, seeing that it was starting to get late.   
“I’ve already got a bottle in me, I can’t drive.”  
“So walk. It’ll be easier for you if you're not here.”  
“No. We can finish this another night; when she’s had a few drinks.”  
“Chad, we’ve held up our end, and you have to hold up yours. Go to the store.”  
“We also agreed on the circumstances of my end. We can do this again another night. “  
“I’m going upstairs. Either stay or make yourself scarce for an hour. The choice is yours.” Michael spoke, standing from his seat and making his way towards the stairs. Logan, Collin, and Sam place their glasses on the coffee table before following suit. At the base of the stairs, Collin turned towards Marena’s Father,  
“You should leave, Chad.” he insisted before turning and taking the stairs two at a time.   
Marena’s father sighed before putting his shoes on, grabbing his coat and leaving. 

Collin joined the others at the top of the stairs, waiting just outside of Marena's room.   
"We really should wait until we can do this under the original circumstances."  
"Stop being soft, Collin. Chad knew what the deal was and still went through with it. Besides, It'll be more entertaining this way. Or are you planning on not participating?"  
"I'm still deciding that. I have no qualms about receiving my payment through another means or waiting a little while longer. I don't understand the rush; it's been seven years, what's a few more months?"  
"As you pointed out, its been seven years and my patience has run thin." Michael retorted before knocking on Marena's door before entering.   
Marena was laying under the covers of her bed, still in a sitting position with her book laying across her stomach and reading light still on. Sam slowly made is way over to her, pulling the book from her lap and placing her bookmark to hold her page before setting it on her night-stand. Sam, Michael, and Logan took off their suit jacket and ties, Collin remained dressed, leaning against the door.   
"I get her first," Michael whispered.

An hour and a half later, Marena's father walked through the door, finding Collin, Michael, Logan, and Sam sitting where they had been earlier, beers in hand. "Welcome back. Let's continue with business, shall we?" Michael asked before taking a drink. Chad toed off his shoes and hung his jacket by the door, grabbing a beer from the kitchen before sitting down in his chair. As the conversation began to flow more easily, with the complexity of the project serving as a distraction, Collin looked out the window and noticed an unusual number of people walking around outside, dressed in black. He tipped the top of the bottle towards the window, gesturing to his colleagues to look when the door opened.   
Chad stood as a tall figure, covered in black from top to bottom with the exception of the face being a silver mask decorated with a design of black snakes, came through the door, "Who do you think...." he didn't get to finish his as the figure raised a wand, casting a spell. With nothing more than a flash of green light, Marena's father fell to the floor with a loud thud. Collin, Michael, Logan, and Sam sat frozen in their seats. As the figure turned towards them, wand raised for his next victim, Sam let out a scream before his body slumped in the chair. Collin tried to run towards the stairs but he didn't even make the first step. Michael was on his knees trying to negotiate and beg for his life. Amused the figure waited a moment to listen before quickly killing both Michael and Logan in quick succession.   
Quickly collecting anything that might be of value from the bodies, and around the bottom floor of the house, the figure made his way up the stairs. Going to the first door, the only one that was closed, he made to turn the handle before stopping, hearing hiccuping from the other side. Pushing the door open, the figure could barely see a girl, curled into a ball, sitting on the floor in a corner in the dimly lit room. Marena looked up when she heard the door opening, pulling into herself even more. Watching the figure moved further into the room towards her, she started crying and shaking her head. The figure crouched down about three feet away from her, removing the mask. Marena began shaking at the sight of a man. Taking a quick glance at her ripped clothing, bruises, and overall appearance, the man sighed before reaching his hand out towards her. Marena began shaking her head furiously, pushing herself further into the wall in an attempt to get away from him.   
" I know you don't want to be touched, but if you want to leave, you need to take my hand," he whispered gently.   
Marena looked at him again, but couldn't decide if going with him would be any better than staying. He was an oddly dressed stranger who hadn't come with the rest of her father's colleagues. Shaking her head, Marena wrapped her arms around her legs tighter. Sighing, the man slowly reached forward, grabbing her by the elbow. Marena began screaming and thrashing, trying to loosen his hold on her as he pulled her towards him. Eventually, he had both of her forearms in a tight grip and was waiting for her to tire herself out. Finally giving up, Marena stilled, shaking and crying.   
"Have you tired yourself out?" She was slightly amazed at how gentle his voice still was; she expected him to have been more annoyed. She nodded her head in response, allowing him to pull them into a standing position. Her knees buckled underneath her weight, the man pulling her to his chest to better support her weight, "Do you need me to carry you?" Marena shook her head, "I want to try and walk." He nodded his head before taking her by the elbow again, making sure she was steady on her feet before leading her back through the house. Half-way down the stairs, Marena stopped in tracks, nearing falling into the man as he kept walking with his hand on her arm. He turned to look at her, "Come; and watch your step." She allowed him to lead her through the living room, minding to step over the bodies and nearly collapsing at the sight of her father's body laying on the floor. The man steadied her on her feet quickly before pulling her through the door and into the street.   
The darkness of the night was alight with the brightness of the fires coming from the other houses in the town. The man cast a spell, setting her childhood home and the bodies inside ablaze. Marena finally collapsed into him, all of the stresses of the night proving to be too much for her to handle all at once. The man brought an arm under her knees, picking her up bridal style and continuing to walk towards the center of town where the rest of the party were waiting for him.   
"I would ask what took so long, Lestrange. But I'll assume the girl in your arms is the answer?" It was possed more as a statement than a question.  
"You would be correct, Malfoy. We're still short."  
"They've already gone home. You're not the only one who got a new pet tonight, but you are the last to return."  
Lestrange nodded, "In that case, Gentlemen, let's go home."

Everyone said their farewells before disapparating to go their separate ways.


	2. Home

Everyone said their farewells before disapparating to go their separate ways.

Marena brought her hand to her mouth as they appeared in a small living room. Lestrange lowered her feet down, grabbing her gently by her upper arm, still holding his mask in the opposite hand. After a moment, she lowered her hand and stepped away from him, pulling her arm away. Lestrange smiled at her softly. "Follow me." He slowly turned around and began walking towards the door, stopping to hold it open for her. She looked at him warily, finding it hard to meet his gaze. "Come on, Little One; I won't hurt you," he reassured, nodding his head towards the door. Crossing her arms over her chest, Marena slowly moved towards him, putting as much space as she could to pass him as she went through the doorway. 

Following Marena through the door, Lestrange took the lead as they wound their way through the manor. Marena quickly became disorientated, losing track of all of the turns, stairs, and halls they had taken; she found herself grateful that Lestrange was looking over his shoulder every now and again and would stop at every turn to make sure she was still behind him. Finally, reaching a set of double, darkly stained, wooden doors with an intricate design carved into them, Lestrange stopped and waited for her to catch up with him. Marena stopped a few feet away from him, looking around the hall, still trying to figure out how she had gotten there in an attempt at shaking off the feeling of being lost. 

"Don't worry about trying to remember. I'll show you around a little bit in the afternoon and from there you'll start to learn as you go." Opening the door, Lestrange kept to the side to allow her in first. Slowly entering the room, Marena's jaw dropped slightly as she took in her surroundings, her arms slowly lowering back down to her sides. Lestrange quietly followed her in, closing the door behind him. Walking over to the fireplace in between the two bay windows, he lit a fire without a word. 

Lestrange leaned against the mantle above the fireplace, watching Marena as she took in her new surroundings with wide eyes. Over the years, he had seen many girls become enchanted with their first glance at their new home, but their reactions never ceased to please him. Marena was slowly turning in place looking around. "Welcome to your new room, Little One." 

Marena's attention turned back to Lestrange. She looked at him for a few moments before looking away, wrapping her arms securely across her chest. Lestrange studied her for a moment, recognizing some of her behavior. "You've had a long night. Why don't you get some night clothes from the closet and settle into bed." He gestured with his hand towards one of the doors on the wall. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He crossed the room, taking care to keep at arm's length, and left, closing the door behind him gently. Marena stood, looking at the door for a moment before turning towards the door he had gestured to. Opening the door, she walked into a closet the size of her old room. Taking some time to admire the beautiful dresses, she turned towards looked at the shelves on the far wall that looked like they had more comfortable clothing for sleep. She changed quickly into a pair of shorts and a loose t-shirt, the adrenaline and shock finally starting to wear out of her system. Walking back into the main room, she saw Lestrange sitting on the foot of the bed. 

"Your starting to get tired, aren't you?" Marena nodded in response. Lestrange stood and walked to the side of the bed closest to the fire, pulling down the clovers, "In you get." Marena looked at him warily, unsure. "I'm not going to hurt you." She slowly crawled into bed pulling the blankets up close to her chin. Lestrange smiled at her before showing her a vile he was holding in his hand. "Will you trust me enough to drink this? It'll help you sleep." She looked at him blankly, not really paying attention to what he was saying. Taking her silence as a no, he pocketed the vile before walking towards the door. "I'll come to check on you in the morning." Shutting the door behind him, He quickly walked to his own rooms.

Opening the heavy door quietly, Lestrange walked into his room, Silently pushing the door closed. Laying his mask down on the armoire, looking towards the bed to see a figure with long, black curly hair, laying on his side of the bed, her back towards him. Smiling to himself, he quickly disrobed, discarding his clothes on the floor before crawling into bed and wrapping his arms around the women, kissing her shoulder. 

"I know you are awake, Bellatrix," he said softly.

Lestrange turned onto his back, waiting as Bellatrix turned over and made herself comfortable on his chest. "You got back an hour ago. What's kept you up?" she asked.

"I found a new girl," he said with a smirk, "and hopefully you will be able to meet her tomorrow."

"Hopefully? Why wouldn't I be able to?" She asked, sitting up and looking down at him.

"First of all, she was dressed like a Knockturn Alley whore. Second, someone ... did some harm to her, I have a fairly accurate guess, but I want to find out what happened. We need to take this slow and go at her pace unless we want her to be damaged like Macnair's girls."

"You don't think that she was ..." Lestrange cut her off with a nod of his head. 

"Rodolphus, this is going to be difficult."

"I know it is, but she's young; we have plenty of time and hopefully, in the end, it will be worth it."

Bellatrix laid back down on Rodolphus' chest, "So, if everything goes well for you tomorrow, I'll be able to meet her?" she asked.

"Of course, Love," he said. Rodolphus tilted her head and kissed her gently before they both fell asleep.

The next morning, after he woke up, Rodolphus kissed his wife's head, took the book from the nightstand, and went to Marena's room. Opening the door quietly, Rodolphus crept in and stoked the fire before sitting on a sofa to read until Marena woke up.

Marena slowly started to wake up and as she did, she noticed the smooth silk and soft blankets against her bare skin. She turned over to face the fire, nearly gasping when she saw a head and shoulders over the sofa. When Rodolphus reached the end of the chapter, he marked his place and glanced over at Marena. Seeing that she had woken up, he stood up and walked over to her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Marena turned so her back was towards him, too tired from her restless night to want to commit to waking up. He called for a house-elf and had it run a hot bath. Once that was done, he pulled the covers off Marena and placed a hand on her stomach gently, not wanting to cause the girl pain if she didn't deserve it. She froze at his touch, her breathing starting to pick up. Gently, he pulled her towards him, trying to get her to roll over. She resisted him, rolling onto her belly instead. 

Rodolphus sighed, "Come on, Little One, its time for a bath." 

Marena didn't respond.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

She shook her head. 

"Then come." Standing from the bed, Rodolphus made his way towards the bathroom. 

Marena didn't move.

Rodolphus stopped. "Come," he repeated.

Again, Marena didn't move. He turned towards her. "One," he counted. "If I get to three you will have earned a backhand. Two."

Before he could say another word she got up and walked to him crossing her arms over her chest. He waited till she reached him before entering the bathroom. She followed. He turned towards her and walked behind her so her back to him. Rodolphus took hold of the hem of her shirt and started to slowly left it. Marena jerked away from him, spinning to face him. "You do it." She hesitated. Rodolphus sighed, stepping towards her, reaching to grab her arm. Marena went to step away from him but wasn't quick enough. Rodolphus pulled her against him as she struggled; sinking down to the floor, he pulled her on to his lap, holding her tightly to him. "Shhhh. Breathe, Marena." He whispered as he started rocking her. Eventually, Marena began to settle, her struggling turning to crying, which slowly became little hiccups. Rodolphus slowly brought her face up to look at her, "You didn't sleep much, did you." he stated more than asked. "Strip and get into the bath; it'll help you feel better." He let go of her, leaning back onto his forearms to give her more room. Marena quickly stood, glancing at him before turning her back and looking at the bath. Noticing the thick layer of bubbles on top of the water, Marena carefully took off her clothes before sitting down on the edge of the bath, putting her feet in the water first before slowly sliding in onto a ledge in the water. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, grateful that the bubbles covered her. 

As she was doing this, Rodolphus stood from the floor and grabbed a bottle of body wash and a washcloth that the elf had left on the counter. He moved to stand next to Marena, sighing as she quickly moved away from him. Slowly, Rodolphus lowered himself to kneel next to the bath. "Come on. You need to wash."   
"I don't need you to wash me."   
Rodolphus raised his eyebrows in surprise at hearing her speak for the first time. " You still have to come and get the cloth and soap from me."   
Marena looked at him uneasily, unsure how she felt about him, this whole situation she had found herself in, and still shaken and trying to wrap her mind around last night's events. Rodolphus's sigh reminding her that he was waiting.   
"I know you don't trust me, and I know being near me in any capacity makes you uneasy. I can take a guess as to why." He looked at her cautiously, but with an expression that told her he did know. Marena looked down into the water, not being able to look at him. "The reality of it is, you are dependent on me and everything will be much easier on the both of us if you can learn to trust me. I know it's a lot to ask. I can be patient, but you need to talk to me."

Marena looked at him before slowly moving closer to him. Rodolphus held out the cloth and the soap out for her to take. She took it, moving to sit sideways on the ledge so she could see him, and started washing up. As Marena finished washing, Rodolphus stood and grabbed a big white fluffy towel off of the counter, holding it open for her. Marena looked up at him, " I want to dry myself."   
"You will, but I want to see how bad the bruising is now that they've had a chance to form."  
She crossed her arms over her chest, making no other move to get out of the water.   
"The sooner you get out, the sooner you can put clothes on and eat."   
Sighing, Marena slowly got out of the bath, keeping her arms securely across herself. Slowly, she walked over to him, turning to put her back into the towel. Rodolphus wrapped his arms, and therefor the towel, around her, allowing her to grab the edge of it. Marena quickly walked out of the bathroom and into the closet, missing the tight-lipped look on Rodolphus' face.


	3. Learning

Marena quickly walked out of the bathroom and into the closet, missing the tight-lipped look on Rodolphus' face.

Rodolphus walked into the bedroom, sitting down on the sofa as he waited for Marena to finish getting dressed. She came out dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a loose fitted long-sleeve shirt, wet hair wrapped up in a towel. She looked at him for a moment, before pulling the towel off of her hair and started to dry it. 

"Go grab the comb from the bathroom."

Rodolphus watch as she walked into the bathroom, coming back into the room with a comb in her mouth, still drying off her damp hair. Shaking his head with a smile, Rodolphus pointed to the floor in between his feet, "Sit." 

Marena looked at him for a moment, before sitting down on the floor, handing him the comb. Rodolphus began gently combing out her hair. 

"What are we having for breakfast?" Marena asked tentatively.

"What do you want to eat?"

Marena shrugged.

"Think about it. It'll take us a few minutes to walk to the kitchens." Rodolphus put the comb on the couch next to him, patting her gently on the back for her to get up. Standing up, Rodolphus started towards the door "Come along, Little One." 

Marena followed him into the hallway and through the labyrinth of corridors and down a couple of staircases. Opening a set of doors, Rodolphus allowed Marena to walk in ahead of him. Closing the doors behind them, Rodolphus moved past her to lean against one of the counters on the right side of the kitchen, giving her time to take in her surroundings.

The kitchen was light in its color scheme, creme being its base color with accents of pale green and grey. The wall on the left was entirely made up of glass, serving as a window. There were shelves and a pantry which lined the far wall, the stove, refrigerator, counters, and cabinets were on the right. An island was in the middle of the room, a sink on the side closest to the counters, stools lining the sides closest to the door and window.

"Have you decided what you want to eat?"

Marena shrugged

"Do you want me to decide?"

Marena stayed silent, her gaze shifting to the floor, playing with her shirt sleeves. 

Sighing, Rodolphus summoned a house-elf and ordered an easy breakfast of yogurt and fruit. Moving to the other side of the island, Rodolphus sat on one of the stools, pulling out another one for Marena, putting some space between them. "Come sit," he spoke as the elf placed two bowls on the counter. Slowly, she moved over to sit on the stool. Picking up the spoon, she slowly started to eat. Halfway through his breakfast, Rodolphus noticed that Marena had stopped eating. 

"Are you full?"

Marena nodded her head in response.

"Alright. Would you like me to show you around the manor a little bit?" He asked, taking another bite.

She shrugged, playing with the sleeves of her shirt so she wouldn't have to look at him. Rodolphus took a few more bites of his breakfast before standing, offering his hand for her to take. "Come on." Marena briefly looked at his hand before standing on her own. 

Rodolphus led her out of the kitchens and began to show her some of the bigger rooms in the manor: the ballroom, the bigger sitting and dining rooms, the entrance hall, and finally to his bedroom. Opening the door, he gestured for her to enter ahead of him. She slowly moved into the room, not entirely sure what to do with herself. Looking around, she noticed that the bed against a wall on the left-hand side, the sheets were black with a light grey comforter and emerald green accent blankets and pillows. The floors and walls were made from dark stone with light grey rugs and black and green woven tapestries on the walls. On the far side, there was a set-in fireplace with a green sofa in front along with comfortable looking chairs and side tables to either side of it, forming a semi-circle with a couple of ottomans in the middle. Large windows flanked both sides of the fireplace, draped dark green curtains. On the right-hand side, there were doors led to the master bathroom and closet. Rodolphus closed the door behind them. Walking around Marena to a table near a fireplace on the far side of the room, he poured himself a glass of scotch, giving her a few more minutes to take in her surroundings. 

Downing the alcohol, Rodolphus took a moment to debate if he was better off sitting on the couch instead of laying on his bed as he would normally do for this conversation. Turning his attention back to Marena, Rodolphus noticed that she had stopped looking around and returned her attention to her shirt sleeves. Deciding that it was best to stay away from the bed, he made himself comfortable on the couch. "Marena, come here, please". he kept his voice gently, trying not to startle her. 

Marena moved slowly towards him. Coming around the sofa to stand in front of him, she looked at him for a moment before starting to fidget uncomfortably. "Kneel at my feet or sit next to me." Her head flew up to meet his gaze at his order. She wasn't sure which would be the better of the two: kneeling at his feet put her in a very submissive posture and sitting next to him meant being in easy touching distance. Eventually, Marena decided to sit down on the far side of the sofa, her back resting against the armrest facing Rodolphus with her knees drawn up to her chest. Rodolphus adjusted his body so he was angled to face her more. 

"I know you're no wanting to talk, but I need you to for a little bit. Did you sleep last night?"

Marena shook her head. 

"Why didn't you sleep?" He asked, already knowing the answer  
Marena hesitated before responding "I kept having nightmares. After the third one, I just laid in bed. I must have fallen back asleep at some point."

"What were you having nightmares of?"

She shook her head, tears already starting to form in her eyes.

"Marena, tell me." Rodolphus slowly leaned towards her.  
She shook her head again, her breathing becoming slightly harsher.

"You can either tell me, or I can cast a spell and see your memories for myself which will be just as unpleasant. Which will it be?"

Marena began crying, not giving him an answer. Rodolphus focused his attention on her, entering her mind with ease. It was only a matter of seconds before he found what he was looking for, confirming his suspicions of what happened the night before. After playing through the entirety of the previous day, up until he had put her to bed, Rodolphus receded. Bringing his attention back to the crying girl in front of him, he summoned a blanket from his bed, slowly moving to wrap it around her. Marena grabbed the blanket from him, pulling the ends of it tightly around her. 

Rodolphus called a house-elf to bring them some water, giving Marena a few minutes to calm down on her own. Having the elf set the goblets down on the table next to him, Rodolphus held out his hand towards Marena, calling her name gently to get her attention. Marena looked up at him, wiping her face with the edge of the blanket. 

"Take my hand, sweet girl."

She shook her head violently as her breathing started to pick back up.

"Marena, I can help you. Trust me."

Marena shifted her gaze to his hand, uncertain if she could trust him or not. Pulling the blanket closer to her, she felt herself starting to shake.

"Let me help you. I can make the nightmares go away. I can make you feel calmer. Take my hand."

"You can?" She asked, looking up at him in disbelief. 

He nodded in response, "Trust me."

She tentatively reached her hand out, placing it in his. Rodolphus wrapped his thumb gently over her hand, stroking the back of it soothingly. A fresh wave of tears started to fill her eyes. Rodolphus noticed Marena's chin start to quiver and he gently pulled her closer towards him, trying to coax her into his arms. Marena resisted a little bit at first, but his gentle persistence eventually, hesitantly, brought her closer to him. Rodolphus adjusted himself so his back was leaning against the arm-rest, one leg bent, resting on the sofa and the other hung off. He slowly pulled Marena in-between his legs and onto his chest, waiting for her to settle before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing circles soothingly on the small of her back.


	4. Chapter 4

He slowly pulled Marena in-between his legs and onto his chest, waiting for her to settle before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing circles soothingly on the small of her back. 

Using magic to pour himself another drink, Rodolphus waited for Marena to settle back down. By the time he finished his drink, Marena had finished crying and was softly hiccuping and rubbing the tears from her eyes. Half-way through the second glass, Marena sat up in between his legs. Finding it difficult to look at him, she settled for looking at a point in her lap before asking a question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to. 

"Why am I here?"

"Look at me." The command was soft. Rodolphus waited patiently for her to comply. 

It took Marena several tries before she was able to meet his gaze for longer than a few seconds. 

"You already know why your here. You just don't want to admit it to yourself. " At this, Marena's eyes started to water as a fresh bout of tears began to form. "You are my slave." 

Marena pushed away from him, back to the far end of the sofa, shaking her head. Rodolphus continued to finish his drink, giving her a few moments to process. 

" I don't want to be here"

"You don't have a choice, my dear. Besides, you'll find that your circumstances could be far worse."

"What could be worse?!"

"I could have thrown you in a cold, dark cell last night for starters."

"So why..... didn't you?" Marena started hiccuping again.

"It wouldn't have given me the desired effect. You were taking comfort in me a few minutes ago."

She remained quiet for a few moments, shifting her gaze back down to her lap. 

"You're life won't be that difficult, Marena. Follow the rules, which are for your safety mind, and obey the commands I give. You don't have to worry about anything else." 

Marena pulled her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them securely. 

Sighing, Rodolphus stood and started towards the door, "Come, Marena." He turned back towards the room once he opened the door, waiting for her to obey. Reluctantly, Marena got up and followed him. Rodolphus wound his way through the manor effortlessly, stopping at a door where a house-elf waited with a jacket and boots.   
"Go outside and explore if you wish, or you can sit, or you can stay in and explore the manor. The decision is yours. Someone will come and find you when its time for lunch." With that, Rodolphus walked back through the labyrinth. 

Marena couldn't believe it. He was actually letting her outside. Alone. Putting on the jacket and boots- How does he know my sizes for everything?!- before going outside. Looking around, she started walking towards the tree line. Smiling to herself, Marena started climbing a tree with low, sturdy branches, wincing slighting at the tenderness in her body. Going as high as she dared, she gasped at the view. From her spot in the tree, she could see what she thought to be the most beautiful place in the world. There was a clearing in the woods that went further than the eye could see. The white snow was In the center of the clearing was a lake that was frozen over. In the background, Marena could see mountains and when she listened carefully, she could hear the sound of rushing water. Marena smiled. She climbed down to the thicker branches and when she was low enough she jumped. Hearing the crunching noise of the snow under her weight brought a smile to her face and she began to walk in the direction of the clearing. She sat on the water's edge cross-legged, not paying any mind to the fact that her pants were starting to get a little wet from the snow. 

Lost in her own world, Marena didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind her until a shadow was cast over her. Looking up Marena quickly moved away from the unknown woman. When she took a step closer to her Marena started to get even more scared. "You're alright, Little Girl. It's time to come inside before you get ill." the woman said to her. Marena nodded. "Come," she said and started to walk away from her. Marena took one last look at the field and lake before standing and following the woman, sighing. The woman was too far ahead for Marena to see through the tress so she used her memory to retrace her steps through the woods. Once out, Marena saw the woman walking towards the manor.

She saw that Rodolphus was waiting in the doorway for them grinning. The woman greeted him with a kiss before walking inside. When Marena was close enough, Rodolphus held his hand out to her. Marena eyed it warily, still not particularly seeking contact. Rodolphus noticed that she was still tense. Nodding to show his respect for her reluctance, and figuring that he has already pushed her enough for one day, he gestured for her to go inside. 

Marena followed his direction, taking off the coat and boots. 

"Just leave them on the floor, an elf will come and get them shortly. How wet are your pants? Do you want to change?"

Nodding her head, Marena started fidgeting with her hands again. 

"Did she startle you?"

A nod.

"Come. We'll get you changed and then you can meet her." Rodolphus started walking down the corridor and up to Marena's room, knowing she would follow. 

"Who is it?" 

"My wife, your mistress. She's been anxious to meet you since last night." He said smoothly.

"What do I call her?"

"Just call her mistress until she says otherwise."

"What am I suppose to do?

"Just act as you would normally. Anything that needs adjusting, I'll correct." The remainder of their walk was quiet. Opening the door to Marena's room, Rodolphus walked in and made himself comfortable on the sofa. Marena walked over to the closet and changed her sweat pants for a pair of fleece-lined leggings and wool socks. Walking back into the main bedroom.

"Sir?"

Rodolphus turned his head in her direction, smiling gently.   
"Good girl. Come sit with me for a moment." 

Marena took her place on the other end of the sofa, pulling her legs underneath her and tugging on her shirt sleeves. 

"Why were you tense earlier?"

Marena hesitated before responding, his words about talking to him coming back from earlier. "I didn't know who she was, and I started to panic." 

"I suspect you'll be on edge for the next couple of weeks, considering all that has happened. We'll take this slow. You have my word." Rodolophus kept his voice low "Let's get going so we can eat lunch, alright?"

Marena stood, nodding her head in agreement. 

They made their way to one of the smaller family rooms on the second floor. The fire was small but gave the room a soft glow to it. Chairs and a love seat were surrounding the fire. One of the walls had a bookshelf that went from floor to ceiling and every shelf was filled. There was a desk in the corner with quills, ink, and parchment for writing and a throw rug that covered about half of the wooden floor and another smaller one in front of the hearth. A woman was lounging on the love-seat nursing a glass of wine. Marena let out a quick breath before looking up at Rodolphus. He smiled at her gently and nodded his head before walking over to his wife. Marena noticed that when the woman held out her hand to him, Rodolphus kissed her knuckles, smiling at her. Marena found it odd. It was a gesture that she had only ever seen in movies and books taking place in the early twentieth century and earlier. I wonder what other traditions they have kept.

"Marena, come here." 

Marena walked over to them slowly, keeping her head down and her eyes watching her feet, feeling insecure and not certain what to do with herself; she played with her shirt sleeves, hating the fact that her hands were shaking.   
"Marena, this is your Mistress, Bellatrix. " Rodolphus introduced them. 

Marena brought her gaze up, getting a better look at the woman now that her mind didn't have as much adrenaline to cope with. Bellatrix was fair-skinned with black curly hair, half of which was pinned up in a bun on her head. She wore a long black dress, the upper half was covered by a green shawl. Her eyes were either very dark brown or black, Marena couldn't decide with the lack of lighting. Her cheekbones were high and she had full lips. The smile on her face made her seem kind, but at this point, Marena was not going to decide on that alone. 

Rodolphus put a pillow down on the floor before sitting next to his wife. "Sit, Little One. Lunch will be brought up shortly." Marena moved the pillow closer towards the fire before making herself comfortable. Rodolphus rested his elbows on his knees, looking at her curiously. "Little One, are you cold?"

Marena just shook her head. Rodolphus leaned back against the back of the sofa, bring his arm to rest along the back so Bellatrix could move into his side. Once she settled, he wrapped his arm around her, kissing the top of her head affectionately. 

Marena's breath hitched watching them. Turning so her back was to them, she pulled her knees into her chest, her eyes watering for the third time that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! I was not able to think of a chapter name that I liked for this chapter. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment. Thank you for reading!


End file.
